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Winemaker Notes

Black is a revolutionary new style of port. The bright aromatics, incredible freshness and perfect balance bring it outside the stodgy "vintage-character" category.

Enjoy it any time: chilled, before dinner, after, for a seductive edge to cocktails, as an indulgence with chocolate. The custom-designed bottle is distinctive, modern yet timeless, reflecting the uniqueness of Noval Black. It is simply the most beautiful port bottle we've seen.

Critical Acclaim

Christian Seely recently introduced this wine in New York as a rethinking of the super-premium, multivintage Porto style. Black replaces LB, Noval's former entry in this range, and uses top-quality fruit to create a soft, accommodating texture. The aromas are purple-black while the flavors are pure black cherry. Acidity spices it up and adds to the juiciness of the finish. It's plump in the middle and supple all the way through, ending on fruit-skin tannin and a touch of chocolate from oak. At the level of many of the region's best LBVs, this wine may become a staple for a new generation of Port drinkers.

RP90

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

'Black' is a new blend produced from classic varieties that do not make it into the Quinta do Noval vintage. There are ripe blackberries, tar, smoke and orange liqueur on the nose that takes time to open. The palate is medium-bodied, very sleek on the entry, fleshy black fruits, sloe, spice and just a hint of white pepper, leading to a very focused finish.

Quinta do Noval

Although the property of Quinta do Noval first appeared in land registries in 1715, its history as a premium Port producer truly began when it was bought and renovated by the distinguished Port shipper, António José da Silva. His work was continued by his son-in-law, Luiz Vasconcelos Porto, who ran the company for three decades, transforming the old narrow terraces into the wide whitewashed ones seen today, which allowed for better use of space and more exposure to the sun. There were several other innovations which were considered revolutionary in their time, but which have subsequently become traditions:

Noval was the first to introduce stencilled bottles in the 1920s.

Noval pioneered the concept of Old Tawnies with an indication of age.

In 1958, Noval was the first to introduce a late-bottled vintage (LBV).

Portugal

Best known for flavorful fortified wines but also producing excellent dry wines, Portugal is unique in that it relies almost exclusively on its many indigenous grape varieties. Bordering Spain to the west on the Iberian Peninsula, this is a land where tradition reigns supreme, perhaps due in part to its relative geographical and, for much of the 20th century, political isolation. Portugal is a long and narrow country, which makes for considerable diversity in climate and wine styles, with milder weather in the north and significantly more rainfall near the coast. With the exception of Port, most Portuguese wines have struggled to garner attention in the international marketplace, perhaps due to the unfamiliar and difficult to pronounce nature of most of its grape varieties and terminology, which means that there are many excellent values to be discovered here by the adventurous consumer. The country is perhaps better known for being the world’s leader in cork production than for its wine.

Port, made in the Douro Valley, is the fortified wine for which Portugal is most famous. The same region also produces full-bodied dry wines made from the same set of grape varieties, which include Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo). The nation’s other important fortified wine, Madeira, is produced on the eponymous island off the North African coast. Other dry wines of the mainland include the tart, slightly effervescent Vinho Verde of the north, the bright, elegant reds and whites of the Dão, and the bold, jammy reds of the Alentejo.

Port

Blended from the most important red grapes of the Duoro Valley, Port is th e famous fortified wine from Portugal. Though it is based on the Touriga Nacional grape, there are officially over 80 varieties that can be used in Port production. Usually, in addition to Touriga Nacional, it is only four main varieties that typically finish up the blend: Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Francesa. Other wine regions of the world produce fortified wine of a similar style from the same grapes or others.

There are numerous styles of Port: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, LBV, White, Colheita, and a few unusual others.

Ruby ports usually pack the most value and are ready to drink once bottled. Typical characteristics are ripe cherry and blackberry flavors with stewed plums, cocoa and dates.

Tawny ports are “tawny” in color and have flavors of toffee, caramel, toasted pecans, vanilla, dried apricot, citrus peel, green figs and roasted espresso. The age designation on a Tawny Port indicates the average year of the grapes in the bottle.

When Port is made with high quality grapes selected from a single notable vintage, it is called Vintage Port. Some of the best recent vintages are 2011, 2009, 2007, 2003, 2000, 1997 and 1994. Vintage Ports are complex and full-bodied with many flavors possible: concentrated blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and spice, smoke, coffee and chocolate.

LBV Port comes from a single-vintage Ruby Port and may spend six years in the barrel before being bottled. These are ready to drink upon release. Serve most Ports slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.